ATP Melbourne 2013 Downgrades Venue Due To Ticket Sales

It’s been a tough few weeks for Aussie music festivals, including Harvest, Big Day Out, Boomerang, Future, OutsideIn, et al.) and the Halloween return of All Tomorrow’s Parties – this October’s Release The Bats festival, has unfortunately not been immune.

Following on from losing one of the bigger acts on the bill, after The Jesus Lizard unexpectedly pulled out of ATP’s Release The Bats lineup less than three weeks ago, now the organisers of the Halloween themed event have cited that “the current ticket sales trajectory” has forced the event into downgrading the venue.

Release The Bats was set to take place at the Westgate Entertainment Centre and Grand Star Reception in Altona, Melbourne next month, but now the event is relocating the Palais Theatre (as Main Stage) and Prince Bandroom (as Second Stage), “two venues located just a short walk from each other in St Kilda,” describes a press statement from ATP about the venue change.

“Due to the current ticket sales trajectory we are faced with moving the event to these venues to ensure the event can take place,” the statement continues. “All currently booked tickets will be valid for new location and based on the smaller capacity of the new location we now only have a very small amount of tickets left before the event is sold out. All ticketholders will be emailed soon with more info about the event including wristbanding.”

The downgrade ensures the festival can go ahead, with Release The Bats featuring The Breeders playing their 1993 album Last Splash live in full, and influential post-punks Television similarly performing their landmark 1977 debut for ATP audiences.

The remaining ATP festival lineup includes influential Aussie post-punks The Scientists, two-piece electro pioneers Fuck Buttons, noise rock duo Lightning Bolt, stoner rock legends Sleep, neo-psychedelic outfit Forest Swords. Also on the bill are left-of-centre Australian acts including Total Control, Hoss, White Walls, The UV Race and The Spinning Rooms.

The news of the venue change follows The Jesus Lizard pulling from the ATP lineup. “The Jesus Lizard regret to announce they are no longer able to come to Australia/NZ for their October dates due to unforeseen circumstances. They hope to make it down to Australia in the near future,” read a statement, with ATP honchos organising a replacement for the Austin-based noise punks on the festival bill.

The original Altona location touted two stages, a cinema, art exhibition, curated activities, and a food court for its 5,000 expected punters, but the venue change may mean the loss of some of these extracurricular features, but the Halloween fancy dress is still encouraged, with those dressed as something to do with one of the bands eligible to win some excellent prizes.

The one-day Release The Bats was designed as a semi-sequel to the success of the two-day I’ll Be Your Mirror festival co-curated by The Drones earlier this year, which had our Tone Deaf reviewer raving: “Was it all a dream? Bizarrely it wasn’t… a weekend of impeccably selected music, food, film, and culture.”

The extracurricular highlight of I’ll Be Your Mirror, Pricasso, will also be returning to Release The Bats to paint some special Halloween portraits in his own inimitable style (hint: he doesn’t use his hands).

ATP Release The Bats 2013 Lineup

The Breeders performing Last Splash (only Victorian show)
Television performing Marquee Moon (only Victorian show)
~~The Jesus Lizard (only Victorian show)~~
The Scientists
Fuck Buttons
Lightning Bolt
Sleep
Pop Crimes (The Songs of Rowland S. Howard)
Forest Swords
Total Control
Balam Acab
Hoss
The UV Race
White Walls
The Spinning Rooms